The Philadelphia Eagles have done nothing to address their uninspiring wide receiver situation so far this offseason. Is that about to change?
Peter King offered some intrigue in his latest FMIA column. He listed the Eagles as the No. 1 best landing spot for Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Brandin Cooks, who is believed to be on the trade block.
My best landing spots for Cooks:
1 Philadelphia, for the 53rd pick in the draft.
2 Green Bay, for the 62nd pick in the draft.
3 Oakland, for the 80th and 121st picks in the draft. (Raiders don’t have a second-rounder.)
4 Washington, for the 66th pick in the draft.
Further, King added this:
Imagine, in the span of four years:
Playing for Sean Payton, Bill Belichick, Sean McVay and perhaps Doug Pederson, all of whom coached in at least one Super Bowl.
Being targeted by Brees, Brady, Goff and perhaps Carson Wentz.
Does King know something here or is he just spit-balling?
It’s not crazy to think the Eagles could have interest in Cooks. Howie Roseman was willing to select him at No. 22 overall in the 2014 NFL Draft but the New Orleans Saints traded up to get him at No. 20. The Eagles were then interested in trading for Cooks during the 2017 offseason and were even rumored to be the front-runners to land him at one point before the New England Patriots ultimately swooped in to get him.
Perhaps the third time trying to acquire Cooks could finally be the charm?
Bleeding Green Nation’s Alexis Chassen previously highlighted some of the pros and cons to trading for Cooks earlier this offseason.
The former first-round draft pick spent the first three years of his NFL career with the Saints, before spending one year with the Patriots, and the past two season with the Rams. He didn’t miss a game from 2015-2018, and missed just two in 2019 with a concussion. And while that doesn’t seem all that concerning, it is when it was his fifth (known) concussion in his six-year career, and the second within a 25 day span last year.
As Robinson noted, the head injuries could soften his market value. The Eagles really need to be adding players that aren’t at risk to spend time on IR — especially given the past few seasons and the long list of players they ended up losing.
BUT, Cooks would be hard to ignore with his very appealing production. The wideout had 4 1,000-plus yard seasons in a row from 2015-2018, and has amassed 5,730 yards on 402 receptions for 34 touchdowns throughout his entire 6-year career. He’s also averaged over 13 yards per catch every season except his rookie year (but still averaged 10.4 yards per reception that first year).
Acquiring Cooks, who only turns 27 in September, would add some much-needed speed to the Eagles’ offense. The team would no longer solely be relying on 33-year-old DeSean Jackson as their only legitimate deep threat.
But trading a second-round pick for Cooks isn’t so simple. He’s due an $8 million base salary and a $4 million roster bonus in 2020 so he’d put a dent in the Eagles’ salary cap room.
Spending another valuable pick for a veteran on a big money contract — as opposed to a young receiver on a team-friendly deal — isn’t the most optimal use of resources. Not to mention Cooks’ extensive concussion history.
Then again, merely hoping to find an answer at wide receiver by selecting a rookie or two in the 2020 NFL Draft isn’t a sure bet. Cooks is much more of a proven commodity.
Roseman absolutely should and likely will be gauging Cooks’ price tag. A second-round pick at No. 53 overall feels a bit rich. The Eagles’ third-round compensatory pick at No. 103 and a throw-in like Rasul Douglas is more palatable but might not be enough to get a deal done.
Eagles fans were previously split on the idea of a Cooks trade two weeks ago.
Has your opinion changed after watching the Eagles do nothing to address receiver in free agency?